Pipe clamp



Dec. 2, 1930.'

WA E. LAHEY PIPE CLAMP Filed June 3, 1927y n//l'am E. Lahey patented Dee.,A 2, 4193@ man nnwann nanna', ont, omo

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This invention relates to clamps, and, more particularly, to such adapted to encircle pipes :tor stoppin leaks therein, n

lhe principal o ject ci my invention, generally considered, is to provide a iape clamp particulariy adapted to stop lea` c in pipe lines carrying any commodity, whether gas or liquid regardless oi pressure or temperature, quickly and permanently..

An object ci my invention is the provision oi pipe clarnpwhich is light in weight, positive in action, and adapted for quick and easy installation regardless ci the location or size oi the hoie or holes or the length ot the split in the pipe to be stopped.

Another object et my invention is to provide a clamp for stopping lealrs in pipes in which tightening'thereof is edected by inerely turning the nuts or threadably engaged members thereof, said clamp being so designed that said nuts are always accessible regardless of the location of the leak.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a clamp composed of relatively few and simple parts and preferably involving a pair of blocks or corner castings with outstanding ears, a U-bolt beine connected to the outermost of said ears and embracin the associated pipe while another bolt, preterably straight, engages the innermost ears thereof, a shoe plate and gasket being applied `either beneath a portion of the U-bolt or one of the corner lcastings depending on the location ci' the leal( in the pipe, whereby the nuts may always be disposed upwardly and thereby rendered accessible even though the pipe may be partly buried.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particular:v arrange- 43 ment and construction of the various parts will become apparent as the description proceeds. 1

Referrin to the drawings illustrating my invention, le scope whereof is deiined by the appended claims:

Figure 1 is a plan of a section of pipe with a clamp of the double variety embodying my invention, that is, involving two U-bolts, ap lied thereto. igure 2 is a similar plan' illustrating a 'clamp ot the single variety, that is, involving` only one lll-holt.

acter 3, is illustrated and said clam involve one or more U-inembers or may olts i adapted to embrace or partially encircle said pipe, as illustrated particularly in Figure 8. In Figure l, the clamp is shown as involving two lll-bolts or rods i and in Figure'Q, is shown as involving only one of said bolts. However, Ido not wish to be limited to this showing as the number of U-bolts employed depends on the character and extent of the leak or split which is to be stopped by my clamp.

rlhe ends of the U-bolt or bolts are pret erably threaded as indicated at 5 for receiving nuts 6 thereon.

ings or blocks 7 Associated with the ends of said bolt or bolts are corner castreferebl provided with concave inner'surtaces 8 a apted to engage the associated pipe l `and outstanding ears 9 apertured as indicated 'at 10 for receiving the ends of the U-bolt 4 and ,an associated cross or connecting bolt 11. The ends of the U-bolt or bolts preferably extend through the apertured ears which are arf thest from the vertical center line of the pipe, that is, those which, in the embodiment illustrated, extend away from each other and are substantially horizontal. The cross bolt or rod 11 preferably extends through those ears which are vnearest together and to the vertical center line of the pipe, and which extend substantially vertical in the embodiment illustrated. The

ears 9 engaged by a U-bolt are preferably formed w1th upper flat app zontal surfaces 12 adapte roximately horifor engagement with the corresponding face of the associated nut 6. In a similar manner, the ears 9, engaged by the cross bolt, are provided with approximately vertical faces 13 adapt-v ed for engagement with either the assoclated nut 14 on the bolt 11 or the head v15 thereof. From the foregoing, it will be seen that the axis of the rod means 11-normally lies in the axial lane of the, U-shaped means 4. Although t e bolt is illustrated as provided Witha head at one end and a nut threadably engaged thereon at the other end, I do not wish to be limited to this showing as it is obvious that said bolt may be threaded for the reception of a nut at each end. It will be apparent that, in the embodiment illustrated, the faces 12 and 13 are disposed at approximately right angles with respect to each other, however, I do not wish to be limited to this showing. l

For stopping the leak, split or crack Q in the pipe, a gasket 16 of any suitable material, such as rubber. felt, fiber or the like may be employed and, between said gasket and the clamp 3, a shoe plate 17 is provid-y ed. When the leak is at, or near the bottom of the pipe as illustrated, said gasket and shoe plate are applied'between the U-bolt or bolts and the pipe, whereas, if said leak is at a different location, the position of said gasket and shoe plate is changed to correspond, said clamp being adapted for slight rotative movement one way or the other so that the casting utilized may be arranged substantially central with respect to the leak, said clamp, however, being preferably maintained so that the nuts 6 and 14 are substantially uppermost, whereby they are accessible for any desired manipulation thereof.

A preferred manner of applying the clamp to a pipe is as follows. The U-bolt or bolts'are placed around the pipe, vthe corner castings or blocks slipped in place thereover in substantially the position illustrated in Figure 3, the nuts applied to the threaded ends 5 of said bolts, after which the bolt 11 is inserted through the remaining perforated ears 9 of the castings and its nut 14 applied thereon. The shoe plate with a suitable gasket is then placed over the leak or hole and the assembled clamp positioned so that the gasket presses substantially centrally over theleak. The nuts are then tight,

ened until the leak is stopped. It will be understood that, vif the leak is in or near the top of the pipe, the shoe plate and asket, instead of being placed under the U- olt or bolts, may be placed under one or both ofthe corner castings 7, whereby the nuts may always be positioned substanially uppermost, making them readily accessible regardless of the location of the leak.

y From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying draw-4 ings, it will be apparent that I havedevised a clamp which is light in wei ht, positive in action, adapted to be cheap y manufactured and rea ily applied to pipes of any size for quickly and permanently stopping leaks therein. Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been described in detail, it will be obvious that I do not wish to be limited to the exact showing but desire to cover all embodiments which are embraced within the spirit and scope of my invention orcovered by the following claims.

Having now descrlbed my invention, I claim:

1. A clamp comprising a U-shaped member adapted to embrace a pipe and hold Vleak-stopping means thereagainst, blocks with perforated ears receiving the ends of said member, a connecting bolt extending in the plane of the U-shaped member through other perforated ears on said blocks, the ends of said bolt and member being threadably engaged by nuts for tightly pressing the leak-stopping means against said pipe.

2. A clamp comprising a plurality of cast- 'ings with concave faces adapted to engage a pipe and innermost and outermost outstanding ears perforated for receiving bolts and provided with faces adapted to -be en gaged by nuts threaded on said bolts, a curved bolt adaptedto embrace said pipe and extend through the apertures in the outermost ears of said castings and be connected theretoby means of nuts threaded thereon, and a straight bolt extending through the apertures in the innermost ears` lying in' the plane of the curved bolt. and connected thereto by a head and nut, respectively, on said bolt.

3. A clamp comprising a U-bolt adapted to embrace a pipe and hold leak stopping means thereagainst, blocks with outstanding perforated ears someof which engage the ends of said bolt, nuts threaded on the ends of said bolt and engaging said blocks for connecting the same to said bolt, and a cross bolt extending through the perforations in the remaining ears on said blocks lying'in the plane of the U-bolt, and connecting said blocks together b v means of a nut thrcadably engag ing the end thereof.

4. A clamp comprising a U-bolt adapted to embrace a pipe, a cross bolt, and castings with circumferentially aligned outstanding perforated ears receiving'the respective ends of said bolts for connecting them together in the same plane. v

5. A clamp, adapted to embrace a pipe and hold a shoe plate and associated gasket thereagainst, comprising a U-shaped member, corner blocks with outstanding perforated ea rs extending in a common plane and receiving the ends of s aid member, other ears on said blocks disposed approximately at right angles to the first mentioned ears, a connecting memlill@ ber extending through said other ears and connecting said blocks by a thrcadably engagcd nut thereon, the ends of said U-shapcd member being likewise connected to said corner blocks, for tightly pressing said shoe plate and gasket against said pipe.

6. A clamp comprising a straight bolt adapted to he circumferentially alined, connected end to end around apipe by nuts threaded on the ends thereof and engaging associated connecting means, and a gasket device adapted for insertion between a desired part of the clamp and pipe for stopping a leak in said pipe, whereby said clamp may be always positioned with the ends of the U-bolt pointing upward.

7. In combination, a pipe and a clamp encircling said pipe comprising a U-bolt embracing the same, astraight cross bolt, and means connecting the adjacent ends of said bolts comprising blocks with perforated ears extending approximately; at right' angles to each other.

8. In combination, a pipe and a clamp en- .circling said pipe comprising a U-shaped member, blocks with circumferentially aligned perforated ears receiving the ends of said member, a connecting bolt extending in the plane of the U-shaped member through other perforated ears on said blocks, the ends of said bolt and member being threadably engaged by nuts so that the clamp is adapted to press leak stopping means tightly against said pipe.

9. In combination, a pipe and clamp there- A around comprising a U-bolt embracing said pipe, blocks with outstanding ears disposed at approximately right angles to one another,

.some of which engage the ends of said bolt,

nuts threaded on the ends of said bolt and engaging said blocks for connecting the same to said bolt, a cross bolt extending through the perforations in the remaining ea'rs on said blocks and connecting said blocks together by means of a nut threadably engaging the ends thereof, and gasket means adapted to be disposed between said clamp and the pipe for stopping a leak vin said pipe.

'10. In combination, a pipe and clamp em` lbracing the same and adaptedto hold a shoe plate and associated gasket thereagainst, said clamp comprising a U-shaped member with the ends thereof parallel to each other, corner blocks with outstanding perforated ears dis-` posed in the same plane and receiving the ends' of said member, other ears on said blocks, a

connecting member .extending through the other ears and connectin sa1d blocks by a threadably engaging nut t ereon, the ends of Y said vU-shaped member being .likewise connected to said block and adapted to tightly press said plate and gasket against said pipe.

11. A clamp comprising U-shaped means adapted to embrace a pipe, straight cross bolt means lying in the axial plane of the U-shaped U-bolt and a cent ends thereof, said blocks roviding abutments for nuts on the ends o said connected means.

12. A clamp comprising U-shaped means adapted to embrace a pipe, strai ht rod means with an axis normally lying in t e axial plane of said U-shaped means, and means connected with the adjacent vends of said rod and U- shaped means for transmitting force therebetween. c

13. A pipe patch comprising a clamp having a pair of substantially straight side portions and a curved mid-portion, substantially straight cross bolt means connecting the extremities of the side portions and so disposed that the line of the force transmitted thereby lies substantially in the axial plane of the clamp, said side portions being of a length sufi'icient to space the cross means from the curved mid-portion a distance substantially corresponding with the space between the straight portions of the clamp, blocks disposed inwardly of the joint between the clamp and cross member and arranged to be forced against the surface of the enclosed pipe substantially radially of the same, substantially asset forth.

14. A clamp comprisinga U-shaped bolt adapted to embrace a pipe, cooperating straight bolt means so disposed that the effective axis of said means l1es substantially in the axial plane of said U-shaped bolt, and means apertured'for receiving the adjacent ends 'of said U-shaped bolt and straight bolt means to provide for the transmission of force therebetween. 

